


Moving On

by HappyCamper41 (orphan_account)



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Denial of Feelings, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Light Angst, Miraculous Ladybug Love Square, Oblivious Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, Oblivious Marinette Dupain-Cheng
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-29
Updated: 2020-12-29
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:21:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,445
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28413063
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/HappyCamper41
Summary: Chat Noir talks to Ladybug about a certain classmate of his, and she isn't sure how to react.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 6
Kudos: 124





	Moving On

Ladybug had a lot of reasons to respect her partner.

Chat Noir was powerful, courageous, and competent (usually). He was trustworthy, and even though he had a bit of a bratty streak when got upset, Chat Noir would ultimately always respect her wishes. His sense of humor was…  _ frustrating, _ but Ladybug knew that he could get serious when the situation truly demanded it. Perhaps more than anything, however- Chat Noir truly did care about Ladybug. He’d put his life on the line countless times to support her, and even sacrificed himself to protect her more than once.

She didn’t love him though.

Ladybug certainly  _ cared  _ about her partner, and would do almost anything for him. Unfortunately for the lovestruck feline, however, ‘almost anything’ failed to include an intimate relationship. For better or for worse, Ladybug was still holding out for a chance to be with another blond boy with green eyes: Adrien Agreste. 

And even though Ladybug had made that clear more than once, Chat Noir had another quality:  _ stubbornness. _ And unlike his other personality traits, this wasn’t always a good thing. His stubbornness helped when it came to fighting supervillains and protecting the people of the city, but a bad thing when it came to his love life. Despite her insistence that he move on, and find another fish in the great ocean of Paris, Chat Noir never seemed to listen.

Chat certainly seemed to have matured a bit as time went on, and no longer got passive-aggressive about rejection, but his feelings clearly hadn’t gone away. He still wasn’t shy about his nicknames, and wouldn’t hesitate to admit that he was fully and completely  _ in love _ with his partner.

So when Chat Noir asked Ladybug to meet up a few hours after an akuma attack, she was fully expecting another confession when they met on the rooftops just before sunset.

“Hey… m’lady.” Chat Noir used his usual nickname, but it was clear that he was tempted not to. Moreover, his voice lacked its usual flair, queuing Ladybug in that something was definitely  _ off _ about him.

“Is everything okay, Chat?” Ladybug asked, immediately concerned.

“Everything is fine, thank you.” He said, with a forced chuckle to lighten the mood a bit. She didn’t laugh.

Chat Noir took a deep breath, weighing his words before speaking. She cringed, mentally preparing her statement to let him down easy…  _ again.  _ Maybe she could add in a less polite nudge in a different direction? Then again, as long as he was respectful, there was nothing inherently wrong with asking again, was there? 

“Ladybug… there is absolutely  _ nothing _ between us, is there?”

“That’s very sweet of you, but-” Ladybug blinked, “Wait,  _ what?” _

“I’ve been after you since the day we met.” Chat Noir admitted, but there was nothing romantic about the way he said it. He just sounded  _ sad,  _ “We’re friends… and you’ve made it clear that’s all you want to be. I’ve kinda been a doofus, haven’t I?” Chat unleashed a rueful laugh, as he stared out at the city below them.

“Well… you  _ have _ been a bit slow to take a hint.” Ladybug tried to chuckle, but it sounded more like a dying animal, “But I think  _ doofus _ is a pretty strong word.”

“Yeah,  _ pathetic  _ sounds more fitting.” Chat Noir winced, and shook his head.

Not sure where he was going with all of this, Ladybug could only stare at her partner. She didn’t appreciate the self-deprecation, but it honestly didn’t seem like he was asking her to correct him or anything. If she didn’t know better… it sounded like Chat Noir was moving on, or at least trying to. And if that was the case, Ladybug didn’t have anything to offer to him except encouragement.

“You’re not pathetic, Chat.” Ladybug said softly, “Wanna know a secret?”

He tilted his head curiously.

“I’ve been after the same guy for over a year now, and I  _ still _ haven’t told him how I feel.” Ladybug admitted, obviously not using names for the sake of discretion.

“An entire  _ year?” _ Chat Noir looked incredulous, and stared at her in surprise, “I couldn’t imagine liking somebody and  _ not _ telling them…”

“It is pretty insane.” Ladybug laughed softly at her own expense, “We’re both kind of lovestruck idiots, aren’t we?” She paused, studying his reaction, “I’d say you have an advantage, though.”

“Oh?”

“You’ve gotten your answer.” Ladybug said, more bluntly than she’d intended, “But me? I still don’t know how he feels, and I may never find out.” She fixed him with a tired look, “Look, Chat… you’re a good person. You’ve fought by my side for over a  _ year  _ now. Mentally, I have an excuse to keep chasing after A-  _ this guy.  _ You, one the other hand…” She trailed off, studying his expression closely.

“...I’ve gotten my answer.” Chat Noir said quietly, now understanding what she meant, “But you’re always stuck wondering…”

Ladybug considered speaking up, and asking why he was talking about this  _ now, _ but she doubted that he’d have heard her. Chat Noir was staring out at the city, a  _ tired _ look in his usually vibrant green eyes. There was no physical evidence that he wasn’t taking care of himself, but Ladybug could’ve  _ sworn _ that his wild blond hair was more saggy than usual, and the artificial ears on top of his head were drooping.

If she had to guess… he probably just got tired of waiting, something that Ladybug couldn’t help but feel a pang of sadness about. The idea of Chat Noir  _ not _ being interested in her, or trying to find somebody else was just  _ bizarre. _ His feelings had pretty much defined their relationship for as long as the cat and bug team had been a thing, and the idea that what they had could change forever was… disheartening, to say the least.

“Alright…” Chat Noir said, finally looking at her, “The reason I ask is this: I learned that a girl in my class likes me today.”

“...oh.” Ladybug said softly, blinking in surprise, as an emotion that she couldn’t identify surged into her heart, “What- I mean, are you sure?”

_What kind of a question is that?_ _Of course he’s sure!_

“Yeah, I’m sure.” Chat explained quietly, “She… I overheard her best friend talking about it to my best friend, and-” He paused, “I just… don’t know what I’m going to do about it.”

Ladybug was silent for a long moment, as she fully digested his words. She supposed it made sense- Chat Noir was an attractive guy, even though he wasn’t Marinette’s type. There were probably a lot of girls that liked him, even as he remained totally resolute in his crush on Ladybug.

But the fact that Chat ‘didn’t know’ what he was going to do was…  _ interesting. _

I still haven’t said anything to her.” Chat continued, when Ladybug didn’t respond, “We’ve been good friends for a while now… and I guess she’s been wanting to take it to the next level.” He looked almost embarrassed as he spoke, as though he felt ashamed for taking this long to figure it out, “Do you think-  _ no, _ I shouldn’t say anything, should I?”

He gave her a desperate look, as though  _ begging _ her to solve this problem for him.

“What are you looking at me for?” Ladybug teased, “Don’t act like I know anything about love…”

“Right.” Chat Noir chuckled, as the two fell into a comfortable silence.

This was… weird. Ladybug had gotten used to being the object of Chat Noir’s affections- the only relevant player in his love life. Hearing him talk about a situation with another girl, even as he hadn’t actually stated any interest was… a unique feeling.

“Do you… like this girl?” Ladybug asked hesitantly.

Chat Noir smirked, “Worried about the competition, bugaboo?”

Ladybug rolled her eyes, “Did we not just have this conversation like… not even two minutes ago?”

“My bad.” He raised his hands in apology, “Force of habit- I’m working on it!”

“Sure you are.” Ladybug paused, “You didn’t answer the question, by the way.”

Chat Noir paused, cupping his chin thoughtfully as Ladybug waited for her answer.

The suspense was bothering her more than it should. She…  _ wanted _ Chat Noir to like this girl, right? That would make things a lot simpler, since she apparently liked him. He could move on, and finally put an end to what was probably the biggest strain on their relationship.

“She’s been my friend for a while now, and I guess I’ve never thought about her that way.” Chat Noir admitted quietly, “Kinda makes me feel like an idiot, since I didn’t notice her crush, but whatever.” He paused, sighing slightly, “So I guess the short answer is ‘no,’ I don’t  _ like _ this girl, at least not in that way.” Chat Noir looked almost  _ sad _ at the proclamation.

“Oh…” Ladybug said, uncomfortable with the feeling of  _ relief _ that coursed through her, “Well, then I guess you should-”

“That was the short answer.” Chat Noir reminded her, “The long answer is that… things are a lot more complicated than that.” He took a deep breath, shifting uncomfortably, “I don’t have a crush on M-  _ my friend.” _ He caught himself, “I don’t have any feelings for her… but I feel like I could learn to? If that doesn’t sound too weird?”

It did sound weird, but Ladybug was pretty sure she knew what he meant. In a lot of ways, that was how she viewed the idea of dating Luka- he was a nice guy that she liked being around, and their relationship would make sense on paper, but she had no real desire to take their relationship to the next level. She wasn’t  _ repulsed _ by the idea of dating him, by any stretch, but she didn’t find it especially appealing, either.

_ Especially _ when she was invested in trying to see somebody else.

“I think I get what you mean.” Ladybug said quietly, and Chat Noir nodded appreciatively.

“Exactly!” He exclaimed, and began to pace slightly, “She’s smart, beautiful, kind… the whole package! I could totally see myself with her.” He snorted suddenly, “Even my  _ father _ seems to like her, which is a miracle on its own.”

_ The whole package. _

Ladybug suddenly wanted to know who this mysterious girl was. Was there really somebody in Chat Noir’s class deserving of the praise he was offering?

Obviously she wouldn’t expect to recognize her or anything, but the idea that one of her closest friends (after Alya, of course) was thinking about getting a significant other that Marinette could never meet was just  _ sad. _ It opened a whole can of worms on its own, as she again found herself wondering what the boy under the mask was actually like when he wasn’t saving the day or flirting with his partner.

Apparently he was somebody that ‘the whole package’ fell for. Did she like him for his dorky jokes? Or were they just something she tolerated because she loved him? Maybe she liked his total confidence, or his unapologetic flirting- although she probably hadn’t experienced that, considering how Chat Noir apparently hadn’t even thought about her until today.

Marinette couldn’t help feeling sympathetic- this girl was clearly shy about her crush, considering how she hadn’t acted on it. And while Marinette had an automatic  _ skepticism _ towards anybody getting near her kitty, she could totally empathize with that.

“This isn’t the first time I’ve learned that somebody liked me.” Chat Noir said quietly, “Not to sound conceited, or anything!”

“Of course.” Ladybug rolled her eyes, “Go on.”

“But none of them have really made me doubt my feelings before. But this girl…” Chat Noir trailed off, “It’s different with her, somehow.”

“Let me guess: you’ve never felt this way about a girl before?” Ladybug teased, and it was Chat Noir’s turn to give her a dirty look.

“As a matter of a fact,  _ no, _ I’ve never felt this way about somebody before.” Chat Noir muttered, folding his arms across his chest as he spoke, “She makes me…  _ want _ to move on.” He said softly, “I think I could learn to love her, and I’m starting to want to.”

This was…  _ good, _ wasn’t it? Chat Noir clearly had at least some interest in this girl, even if he was uncomfortable with it. Ladybug had just gotten finished telling him that there was nothing between them, so this was something she should be encouraging… right?

“Then what’s stopping you?” Ladybug asked, and Chat Noir sighed softly.

“Wouldn’t really be fair to her, would it?” Chat Noir said quietly, “Going out with her when she’s got a crush and I’m ‘learning’ feels like a bad idea.”

“That’s… fair.” Ladybug frowned, “But it doesn’t have to be perfect, does it? Just tell her the truth- you’re interested in getting to know her better, and you wanna go out on a date.” Chat Noir remained silent, so Ladybug continued, “Look… it’s not like she knows you that well either, right? The whole point of dating is learning more about the other person. Just give it a try, and it’ll either work out or it won’t, right?”

Chat Noir looked unconvinced, “Well, yeah, but I don’t want to hurt her if things don’t work out…”

Ladybug smiled softly at his concern, and officially decided that she shipped Chat Noir and the mystery girl. Anybody would be lucky to have her partner as a boyfriend, and if she was  _ anything _ like Chat Noir was describing, then Chat would be lucky to have her too.

“Chat… this is obviously your decision in the end.” Ladybug said, and stepped directly into his line of vision to force eye contact, “But from the way you’ve been talking… it sounds like you like this girl.” He opened his mouth to protest, but Ladybug put a finger on his lips to shush him, “Just give her one date? For me?”

He was silent for a long moment, studying her face closely with his radioactive eyes. At first, he looked like he was about to reject her request, but his gaze eventually softened.

“...Alright.” Chat Noir whispered, taking a step back since the two of them were so close, “I’ll give her a chance, since you asked so nicely.” His characteristic smirk returned for a second.

“Thank you.” Ladybug breathed, returning the smile.

“And even if it doesn’t work out…” Chat Noir said, hesitating slightly as he spoke, “I- I promise I’m done trying to get together with you.”

Ladybug was silent for a moment, “Oh… right. Yeah, that’s probably for the best.”

“Right.” Chat nodded politely, before vaulting off of the roof and vanishing into the night.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! This is something I wrote a long time ago, and finally got around to publishing, so I have no current plans of continuing, but you never know.


End file.
